Over the Course of Time
by SakuraRyuu28
Summary: Sesshomaru's father is trying to play matchmaker yet again, and Sesshomaru is about to cut of his nose to spite his father.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Arrangements

Author: SakuraRyuu

Prompt: Six-Course Challenge - Hors d' Oeuvres

Genre: Romance

AU/CU: AU

Rating: T

Warnings: Language

A/N: Inuyasha and all characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

Kagome had been working with Inuyasha at the local middle school for the last two school years, and he rarely spoke about his older brother. She got the strong impression there was a lot of tension between them so she never asked. He spoke fondly of his parents, though, and they spent many a planning period and lunch talking about family.

During her third year of teaching things went along as usual until Inuyasha had a visitor. Walking into the gym where he taught Physical Education she overheard him talking to someone on his cell phone.

"Do not come here. You have no business coming to my job to meet anyone." A long pause then she heard his office door slam shut. Creeping past the bleachers she could still hear him through the door. "Because she's my friend, and I don't care if you think she will be a good match. I can tell you she wouldn't be. Not for him." A short pause before she heard him yell, "Because he's an asshole and I'm not going to serve my closest friend to him on a platter!"

When Kagome was certain the shitstorm was over she knocked on his office the opened it only to hear Inuyasha say, "Well, damn it," as he looked down at his phone.

"Hey, what's up?" He could tell she had heard.

"You heard." She nodded. "Well, it looks like I've talked you up a little too much at home. Have a seat and I'll explain." Kagome sat in the offered desk chair while Inuyasha sat on his desktop. "So, here's the thing. My family is very old school. Arranged marriages and all that. When I go to my parents' house for dinner each week we talk about what's been going on, and naturally I have spoken about you. Nothing too specific, just general mishaps or things we've spoken about."

Kagome responded, "Of course. Completely understandable."

"They have asked about you and I've told them a little bit. I try to keep some of my friends at a distance just because my father likes to play matchmaker and it's just better if I can'toffer my female friends as fodder for his madness. Unfortunately, you have not been so lucky." Seeing the questioning look on her face he continued. "My brother has been present at some of those family dinners, and he has taken notice of the things I have been saying about you. I have managed to keep them from coming here to meet you, but I have been required to ask you to attend a bar-b-que we are having next weekend. But not as my date. They want you to meet Sesshomaru."

She didn't know what to say. She knew some of the students she had were the product of arranged marriages, and she knew they were just as likely to succeed or fail, just like any other marriage. But she had never been the focus of a possible arranged marriage herself.

"So, you family wants me to come to the get together to meet you brother? To arrange a marriage for him? Wouldn't it be better if her found his own wife?"

Inuyasha knew she was going to ask that. Running his hands through his shot, black hair he explained, "My brother has yet to be involved with anyone my father would consider acceptable. I wouldn't say he's a player, more like a confirmed bachelor, but my father has had enough. Sesshomaru is willing to meet you to get father off his back for a while but he really doesn't expect anything to come from it."

"So, he's curious about me, but not interested in me."

"Yes."

"And your father expects me to change his mind? To arrange a marriage for him to someone he finds acceptable that your brother will tolerate."

"I believe so."

"Oh, man, this is going to suck."

"You got it. And it's dress casual, so if you have a summer dress, maybe a sweater, and some cute wedges, that would be perfect."

"You sure do know a lot about women's fashion." Kagome decided picking on his manhood would be the perfect way to lighten the mood. "I'm not going to see you on "What Not to Wear" or something, am I?"

"I should serve you naked to my brother, smarty." Inuyasha laughed. "I just know that's the kind of thing my mother wears and it's always the perfect thing for get together like this. Besides, I've seen you wear the same thing at school."

"Touche." He got her and she knew it.

Inuyasha followed her back to her classroom. Picking up her planner Kagome turned to the pages for the following weekend. "Ok, give me the detes."*

Sesshomaru looked at his father, almost shocked. "You did what?"

"I had Inuyasha invite Miss Higurashi to the bar-b-que this weekend so you could meet her. I noticed how you seem to hang on every word your brother says when he speaks of her, so I initiated contact." Toga shrugged nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal.

"First, I do not hang on anything Inuyasha says, especially anything he has to say about some school marm he works with. I have told you not to make dates for me. I have no intention of marrying in the near future. If you want to marry someone off get rid of Inuyasha."

Sesshomaru, fresh from his morning run, was headed to his room to shower, looking forward to shedding his sweaty running shorts and t-shirt. Instead he had made the mistake of cutting through the kitchen where his father snagged him for this ludicrous conversation. He now stood in front of his father's breakfast table, arms folded over his chest, watching his father eat his grapefruit and drink his coffee as if he wasn't meddling where he didn't belong.

Wiping his chin with his napkin Toga took a drink of his coffee before he said, "I invited her. She will arrive with Inuyasha, and you will be here to meet her. Now, go shower. You smell."

Sesshomaru snorted at him, then turned on his heal and walked away. Walking toward the hamper he stripped off his sweaty clothes and dropped them in. He pulled the ponytail holder out of his long, black hair and tossed it nonchalantly on the counter as he made his way for the shower. Standing under the water he thought to himself, "So, father wants me to meet this woman. Fine. I'll meet her. But that doesn't mean she will like me."

* detes = details


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Meeting

Author: SakuraRyuu

Prompt: Six-Course Challenge - Bisque

Genre: Romance

AU/CU: AU

Rating: T

Warnings: Language

A/N: Inuyasha and all characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

The day of the bar-b-que came, and Inuyasha arrived to pick Kagome up right at 11:00 o'clock on Saturday.

"You look lovely," he complimented, and he meant it. She had taken his suggestion on the sweater, dress, and wedges, but this dress wasn't something he had seen her wear to school. She had on a knee length yellow dress and a blue sweater with cream color wedges that wrapped around her ankles. "You remind me of Easter." It was a joke that earned him a scowl from Kagome.

"If it's not right Ill go change. I have another dress that is similar but different colors. Just hold on a minute." Inuyasha grabbed her arm before she was able to rush off.

"It's fine, really. There's no reason for you to fuss, anyway. I told you he's an asshole."

"I don't care about that, I just want to be presentable for meeting your parents. Good first impressions you know."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Just grab your purse or whatever and let's go or we're going to be late."

Fortunately they made it right on time. And there were a lot more cars in the drive than Kagome expected. Seeing them, Inuyasha let out a curse.

"I thought it was just going to be immediate family."

"Who's cars are they?" Some were very expensive while others were nice, but not nearly as pricey.

"Extended family. Aunts, cousins, grandparents."

"How am I supposed to act under these conditions? I thought it was a small gathering!" Kagome suddenly felt panicked. It would have been bad enough had it just been Inuyasha's parents, himself, and his brother, but she was meeting everyone at a family reunion! And she was supposed to hang out with Sesshomaru, a stranger, when she would want to run to Inuyasha, the only person she knew. This did suck, indeed.

"Don't worry, I won't be far no matter where you wander, ok? I'm not just going to throw you into the mix and run. You can walk away from him anytime you want and come hang out with me." Kagome nodded silently, completely overwhelmed. He looked at her and smiled. "Alright. Let's do this." Together they walked toward the front door of the house.

Inuyasha opened the front door and stepped aside so Kagome could enter. He came in behind her, closing the door, and offered her his arm. She smiled gratefully, and walked next to him through the house, meeting people as he greeted them. She was very polite, shaking hands and participating in small talk where she could. By the time she had reached the back porch she was a bit more at ease, realizing these weren't stuffy, proper people in the slightest. Everyone she had met had been kind to her, greeting her with smiles and questions about what she did, or how she knew Inuyasha. Kagome still held some degree of nervousness however because she had yet to meet Inuyasha's parents, or the brother his father expected her woo.

Just before they stepped outside Kagome pulled Inuyasha aside. "Listen, I know your parents want me here as a prospective bride for Sesshomaru, but I want to be clear that isn't why I came. I don't want to seem like some kind of desperate floozy looking for any husband who will take her. Your Dad put you in a bad spot and I agreed to come to help you get out of it. I don't even care if Sesshomaru is here. But I couldn't leave my closest friend hanging out on a line, and..."

Inuyasha cut her off. "Oh my god, you're babbling." And faked a shocked look. That caused her to stop and laugh. Smiling, he said, "I know better. But I appreciate you humoring me so my Dad will back off of me. So, don't worry about it and have a good time."

"Did I hear someone say they didn't care if I were here?" The couple turned around to see Sesshomaru walking up between them, and squeeze in front of Inuyasha, pushing him out of the way.

"Oh, um," Kagome was caught completely off guard. "I apologize. This arrangement is an awkward way of meeting you, and I really did only come to help Inuyasha."

Sesshomaru looked at her, barely listening as she spoke. "Don't worry about Inuyasha. He can take care of himself. I am Sesshomaru, and you are?"

"Kagome Higurashi. It's nice to meet you." Kagome smiled and offered him her hand to shake. Instead her took her hand and wove it under his arm so she ended up grasping his forearm.

"It's a pleasure." He smiled at her, giving her the feeling of a caught mouse. As he began to lead her away she looked behind her at Inuyasha. He winked at her, then followed just a few feet behind, causing her to smile.

Turning her head back to Sesshomaru she asked, "Where are we going?"

He smiled down at her as if encouraging a child. "We are going to meet my parents and announce our engagement to them. Isn't that why you're here? To land yourself a husband?"

Kagome stopped and jerked her hand away. "No, that isn't why I'm here at all. I came to help Inuyasha. I really had no intentions of discussing an engagement. We've barely spoken 100 words to each other."

"People have been married without seeing each other until their wedding day, never saying a word, so we are starting off with more than they are. Now come." Sesshomaru reached for her hand. Kagome stepped further back, growing angry.

"I said no. I am no gold digger, or husband hunter." Kagome called for her friend. "Inuyasha!" Just as he broke through the crowd around them Sesshomaru managed to successfully grab her hand and yank her to him. Wrapping an arm around her waist and placing a hand behind her head he kissed her.

"Mm, strawberry." He licked his lips before letting her go. Inuyasha took her hand and led her out of the house. The last thing she saw was Sesshomaru wiping his lips off on a napkin as if he were disgusted.

Inuyasha led Kagome toward the back of the house. "Where are we going?"

"To my parents. They need to know what that prick did." He was all but dragging her. She had to give his hand a yank to get his attention.

"No! We can't tell them. That's not how I want to meet them. "Hi, I'm Kagome, and your oldest son just molested me in front of your guests." As if the situation wasn't awkward enough."

"Kagome, it's because it happened in front of people that we have to tell them before someone else's story gets back to them." He saw her distress and didn't want to embarrass her anymore than Sesshomaru already had. "I'll ask them to meet me in my father's office. We can explain what happened there."

"Ok." Inuyasha left Kagome to stand by the back door while he went out onto the deck to collect his parents. He came back in and took her hand, leading her toward a room further in the house.

Not long after the couple was joined by Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's parents. Introductions were made, then Inuyasha shared his brother's disgusting display, describing what he saw.

"Was his advances unwelcome?" Toga was asking Kagome to get her input into the situation.

"Yes, they were."

"What was going on between the two of you?" Toga was sizing her up, wondering if she would buckle.

"We were getting acquainted when he led me off. I asked where we were going and he said to meet you and announce our engagement. I pulled away from him saying that I was here to help Inuyasha, not land a husband. I got mad and yanked away from him when he grabbed my hand and pulled me to him. I was stunned! I have never been treated like that. Then he was kissing me. I didn't have a chance to react before he let me go, and Inuyasha was there to take me away."

Kagome stood from the chair she had been sitting in and said to Toga, "Sir, I'm going to ask Inuyasha to take me home. I don't want to be here anymore. I have never been mistreated by anyone, much less to be treated like a whore by a stranger."

Toga replied, "I hope next time we meet under better circumstances."

"With all due respect, sir, I hope we don't meet again for any reason." Kagome turned and Inuyasha ushered her out.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Reckoning

Author: SakuraRyuu

Prompt: Six-Course Challenge - Intermezzos

Genre: Romance

AU/CU: AU

Rating: T

Warnings: Language

A/N: Inuyasha and all characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

Toga waited until Sunday, the day after the bar-b-que, before questioning Sesshomaru. Instead of answering questions about his son's display with Inuyasha's companion Toga bounced them back to the offender, determined to let Sesshomaru answer for his actions, and not let them ruin his good time. But after their guests left he was free to stomp around and throw a fit about how his son would dare to manhandle a woman. He said the same thing to Sesshomaru over breakfast on Sunday.

"You can have any woman you want, yet you chose to put your hands on a woman I invited as my guest? Your very unwanted hands, might I add. How dare you have so little respect for a guest in my home. Your actions were completely unacceptable. I expect you to apologize in an appropriate manner. Invite her to lunch." Toga turned back to his breakfast, considering the discussion over.

"I will not invite her to lunch. I think I treated in such a way that she will be more than happy to decline any invitation I extend to her, which was my intent. I have told you too many times I have no interest in marrying, and not someone you have chosen for me. I don't understand why you don't understand." Sesshomaru got up from his chair and moved to clear his plate from the table.

"Sesshomaru, I am not going to let this go."

"I am." Sesshomaru left the room.

It wasn't even 24 hours later Sesshomaru found himself sitting in a restaurant across the table from Kagome. It was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and no school so she had been free for the day. She had received a text message from Inuyasha to meet him at her favorite Italian restaurant, Carrabba's. When led to her table she was surprised to see Sesshomaru sitting in his brother's place. He had been polite, standing to take her chair out for her, but looking just as shocked as she was.

Placing her drink order and placing her napkin in her lap she asked, "So how did he lure you here?"

"Business. I was supposed to meet him here for lunch to discuss a new client. You?" He took a drink from his water glass, looking at her above the rim.

"Inuyasha, although I haven't figured out how your father managed to text me from his phone."

"I have an answer for that. He came back to the house this morning to help my mother with the pool. When he does that he changes in his old room and leaves his phone on his dresser."

"Ah, I see. If you don't mind my saying, your father has no shame." Kagome turned to their server as she brought her her drink, and warm bread with dipping oil.

Sesshomaru chuckled at her. "That's the first thing you need to know about him. The second, which rides the coat tails of the first, is that he meddles incessantly in whatever he sees fit, and makes no apologies for it."

Kagome broke their bread and handed him a chunk. He let her dip first before dabbing lightly at the oil. "I see you don't worry about what you eat."

She shrugged a shoulder. When she finished chewing she replied, "I'm a foodie. Always have been. I don't see the point in denying myself what I crave. I'm healthy, I run, so why should I?"

"I run as well, but I am still conscious about what I eat. I don't like to take on more than I should so I can spend more time working it off." If he realized he sounded snide in his answer he didn't show it.

"Well, I have a fast metabolism and am able to worship food accordingly." Kagome smiled sweetly, not at all sorry for her sass.

Their salads came and they ate quietly, until the salad ran out. Then the cool vs. sassy banter continued.

"So, what do you do in your free time?" Kagome decided to put her best foot forward without allowing him to step on her toes.

"I travel extensively, I run, take in the theater, I date. I do any number of things." Sesshomaru expected his answer to get a rise out of her. When he mentioned dating to other women, they usually poo-pooed the idea, claiming he wouldn't want to date another once he got to know them. That never was the case.

"You certainly don't sound like you enjoy any of them. They just sound like something you do, like work."

He looked at her quizzically. "I wouldn't do them if I didn't enjoy them."

"Not true. You could do them because it's expected for a man such as yourself to be worldly, and traveling or theater certainly does sound like worldly endeavors. However, if you don't enjoy them, and I get that impression for the way you speak of them, you may as well be going to work. As for dating, you don't sound like that impresses you, either." Kagome smiled as their server returned to take their salad plates and refresh their drinks.

"You certainly do presume a lot." She was annoying him and he didn't care for it, yet he couldn't help but challenge her.

"I don't have to presume. I can tell by the tone of your voice. When you're interested or excited about something, the tone of your voice has a certain edge to it; your body reflects what the voice is conveying. The way you explain it, with no physical expression or change in your voice, it doesn't interest you. Maybe on some level it does, but not on a level that makes you happy." Kagome rested her arms on the table and leaned forward.

"Alright, then, what do you like to do in your free time?" He wasn't going to let her assumptions about him be correct. He could analyze people just as well as she did.

"Oh! Well, I like going to the theater, but have only managed to see "The Nutcracker" so far. It was absolutely amazing!" She continued to describe the performance with such vivid detail he could see it in his mind, and her excitement almost made him want to go see the performance himself. "I also enjoy concerts, but the last one I've been able to see was "The Trans Siberian Orchestra" some years ago. Hands down the best concert I've ever been to. It was so visually stimulating and the music was so powerful!"

Just then their plates arrived, and they fell silent again. Sesshomaru found himself damning her. Everything she said about how he expressed himself was true. Sure he enjoyed traveling or theater, but not like she did. He had seen the "The Trans Siberian Orchestra" as well, however it didn't move him the way it did her. Her exuberance for the experience made him wonder if there were something lacking in the way he spent his time.

"What about family? You've met mine, but you haven't mentioned yours." He took another bite of his veal, giving her the floor again.

"I come from an average sized family, but we aren't at all average." Kagome described her mother to him, and how she was just as much the heart of their family as her kitchen was the heart of their home. She laughed when she told about how her grandfather was always trying to come up with new trinkets to sell at the shrine, making him seem like he was scheming most of the time. When she described her younger brother he could see the love in her eyes for the boy, and affection in the smile she wore while she described everyone.

Again he found himself wondering if his life were lacking. He had never described anyone with the emotion she did. Hell, he was never affectionate with anyone. He was socially polite, he was attractive, but he had never experienced the level of joy that she had. Sesshomaru found himself somewhat resentful of the woman sitting across from him.

"Well, you certainly do seem to enjoy everything that crosses your path."

If Kagome cared what he thought, she would think he was being condescending. As it was, his opinion didn't matter to her at all. "Of course I do. If you don't enjoy what you're doing, why do it? Otherwise you're wasting time and money you can't get back. That's a big deal to me because I only have so much of both, being a school marm and all." This time she didn't try to hide a tart response behind a smile. She simply took another bite of her food.

Sesshomaru finished his food then motioned for their server. "Check, please."

As she rushed away with their empty dishes, Sesshomaru said, "I have to get back. Thank you for an interesting lunch. Please, allow me." He handed the server his card immediately upon her return with the check.

"Oh, thank you. I certainly wasn't expecting that." Kagome smiled graciously.

"You're welcome." Not another word was exchanged while Sesshomaru signed for the check and both stood to leave, using different exits.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The Realization

Author: SakuraRyuu

Prompt: Six-Course Challenge - Entree

Genre: Romance

AU/CU: AU

Rating: T

Warnings: Language

A/N: Inuyasha and all characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

Sesshomaru spent the rest of the day trying to shake Kagome's infectious attitude, and the rest of the week trying to avoid his father. He still wasn't over his father's ambush lunch date, and he was unhappy at how Kagome kept creeping into his thoughts. He found himself thinking of her at all times of the day and night, and as the week wore on his mood was becoming increasingly more foul. By the end of the week he was snapping at everyone, and he had his secretary cancel all of his appointments from lunch on so he could leave early.

The first thing he did when he got home was change into his running shorts and sneakers. He pulled his hair back into its customary ponytail, strapped his iPod to his arm and headed out. He returned two hours later, covered in sweat. Grabbing a Gatorade from the refrigerator as he passed through the kitchen he made his way to his room, ready to get cleaned up and head out for the evening.

He had called the least clingy and talkative of his female companions, Kagura, to accompany him to dinner and a show. He had managed to get tickets to a performance of "Cats" that was being put on by the city's dance troupe.

The conversation throughout dinner was pleasant, but Sesshomaru kept being drawn back to how Kagome ate when he lunched with her, savoring every bite. He found himself trying to do the same. With every bite he tried to focus on what he was eating. The texture and the spices in his mouth along with the aroma of the food made the experience of eating much more pleasurable. And his wine matched the meal perfectly.

During the performance Sesshomaru paid more attention to the details of the performance than just the performance itself. He noticed the detail in the costumes and how the backdrop was used in the routines. He also paid attention to the music and how the dancers moved to it. Overall, the entire evening did not go as planned, but he couldn't say he was unhappy. His luncheon with Kagome had opened his eyes to experiences he hadn't paid attention to before, and he couldn't say he was disappointed.

As his car approached Kagura's home he parked and walked her to the door. Uninterested in escorting her inside Sesshomaru wished her a good evening and hurried back to his car. Taking out his cell phone he called his brother for Kagome's address.

Kagome was sitting on her couch in her "Frosty the Snowman" pajamas, her hair in pigtails, and fuzzy, blue socks on her feet. The last thing she was expecting was someone pounding on her door at almost midnight. Shuffling over she looked through the peep hole to see a head full of black hair.

"Inuyasha! I know you know what time it is." She unlocked her door and swung it open only to be greeted by Sesshomaru.

"May I come in?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." She stepped aside for him to enter, then closed and bolted the door shut behind him. Turning toward her guest she asked, "Would you like some tea? Or ice cream?"

"Tea would be fine, thank you." Sesshomaru stood in her entryway, unsure of where he should go.

Kagome noticed his unease and walked him toward the living room. "Make yourself at home, the remote is on the coffee table. I'll only be a few minutes." She rushed back to the kitchen to put some water on the stove to heat, and prepared two mugs with tea bags. Grabbing her phone off the charger she shot off a quick, "You're a dead man!" text to Inuyasha. As the pot began to whistle his return text came through. "LMAO!"

Kagome poured the hot water into the mugs, and sat them on a serving tray along with sugar, cream, and spoons. Turning off the stove she picked up the tray and headed into the living room.

She found Sesshomaru seated on her loveseat so she decided to sit on the couch. Sitting the tray on the coffee table she handed him a mug, offering cream and sugar. Once their drinks were settled, she asked him, "What brings you here? I certainly wasn't expecting anyone, as you can see from my elegant apparel."

Taking a sip of his tea he had to ask himself the same thing. "I'm not sure. While I was at dinner tonight all I could think about is how you ate with such abandon when we met for lunch, and I found myself paying more attention to what I was eating. And for the first time I found myself truly appreciating food for it's taste, and it's texture. Even the way it smelled was better than I remember." He sat his mug down and reclined on the loveseat.

"Then I went to see "Cats" and it was like seeing a live show for the first time. I paid attention to the costumes and backgrounds, and how the performers interacted with each other and the music. I have gained a new perspective on some of the most mundane experiences." Here he stopped to actually look at her and said, "I have thought about you all week."

"You have, huh?" Kagome smiled at him over her mug, taking a slow drink. "Then tell me, what kind of tea is this?"

Picking up his mug Sesshomaru tasted it again. He closed his eyes to really savor the taste and smell. Smiling he said, "Jasmine. Green tea." Kagome smiled in return.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: The Confession

Author: SakuraRyuu

Prompt: Six-Course Challenge - Fruit & Cheese

Genre: Romance

AU/CU: AU

Rating: T

Warnings: Language

A/N: Inuyasha and all characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

As the weeks went by and spring gave way to summer, Kagome found herself spending more time with Sesshomaru. He never came to her school, and she never went to his office, deciding to keep their budding friendship strictly personal. They would meet for dinner, take in a show or some other event of Kagome's choosing, and Sesshomaru was happy to follow her lead, wanting to experience things the way she did. When the first leaves of autumn began to change from green to the beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows she loved, he found he hadn't dated anyone else but her in months. When something interesting was happening, Kagome was the first person he called to see if it would be something she would enjoy. He realized he loved her when he found himself going through his phone deleting the numbers of women he no longer had any interest spending time with.

One afternoon he found himself outside of her school, waiting next to her car. He watched her step out of a side door, a large bag on her arm, and lunchbox in hand. She closed the door behind her, and turned, searching the inside of her bag as she walked. She didn't notice him until she had her keys in hand and replaced the strap on her shoulder that she was using to hold her bag open.

Looking up, Kagome noticed Sesshomaru standing next to her car. He smiled at her, holding out his arms for a hug. She walked toward him a little faster, giving him the friendly hug he was waiting for. Pulling away she smiled and said, "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"I thought I would arrange dinner for us. Are you interested?" He found himself watching her smile, and leaned in for a kiss. Before he could touch her lips she had her hand over his mouth.

"Hugs are fine, but I can't be seen here with more than that hanging over my head. Parents can be very funny about what they see teaching staff does when they're off the clock. Wouldn't want to corrupt the offspring any more than necessary, and all that." She gave a nervous smile before she removed her hand.

Stepping back he let go over her and crossed his arms over her chest. "That's not all, is it?"

Kagome sighed. She'd been had. "No, it isn't. The last time you kissed me was so unpleasant. You made me feel cheap with your snide comment about my lip-gloss, and I saw you wipe it off your lips as if it disgusted you. When I spoke to your father about it I told him I hoped I would never have to meet him again under any circumstances. So, as you can imagine…" She looked at him regrettably.

"Yes, I can imagine." Sesshomaru hadn't realized he still needed to make amends for his previous treatment of her. He knew it was wrong when he did it, and he was so disgusted with himself he had wiped off the taste of her lips. He took a deep breath and smiled at her again. "So, dinner?"

"That would be great." Her warm smile returned. "Where do you want to go?"

"How about you head home, I'll go pick something up, and meet you there in about an hour." That should give him plenty of time to grab something from her favorite Japanese place and get back.

"Ok, sure. I'll see you in a little bit, then." She moved away from him and unlocked her car. Opening the driver's side passenger door she tossed her bag and lunchbox in the back seat. She closed that door and opened the driver's door, hopped in and started her car. She waved to Sesshomaru as she drove off.

He opened his phone and called ahead their usual order before getting in his own car to stop at the florist. He wanted to make their dinner special so his first stop was to pick her up a bouquet of peonies, her favorite, along with a vase to put them in once he got to her house. At the restaurant he also picked up a bottle of wine to go with their meal. Considering himself set, Sesshomaru drove to Kagome's.

She was suddenly very nervous about him coming over. In all the time they had been hanging out, they hadn't been more physical than a friendly hug, or her taking his arm, both very innocent gestures. But him trying to kiss her had thrown her for a loop. Kagome didn't know if she wanted to go that route with him after the way he treated her before. Sure, she could forgive Sesshomaru enough to hang out with him, but without a real apology, she certainly wouldn't be willing to be more than a friend. She was setting a precedent by not accepting him based on his behavior. If she did accept him without some type of retribution, that would be telling him the way he acted was ok, and it wasn't. Mind made up, she felt a bit calmer as she pulled into her driveway. Getting out of her car she got her things from the backseat and headed inside.

Sesshomaru arrived just 45 minutes after Kagome did, taking no more than an hour since they had parted ways. She was glad because she was starving. The soup she had packed for lunch had tasted like wood and she ended up throwing it out after a couple bites. Opening the door for him as he approached her stepped inside, unable to really hide anything he had bought.

Before she got too good of a look, she walked straight into the kitchen, not letting her enter. "Find somewhere else to be for a few minutes and let me get everything together, ok?"

She eyed him suspiciously. "And if I say no?"

"We will stand in the doorway to your kitchen all night, starve to death because it all smelled so good but we didn't eat any of it, and our rotting corpses will stink up your house so badly no one will ever want to buy it, ruining your good credit forever."

Trying to peek around him she said, "I won't care, I'll be dead." Moving to block her view he stood and looked at her. With a, "Hmph," she turned around and walked away. Waiting until she was out of sight he turned back to the kitchen. He put the wine in the freezer to chill while he trimmed the flowers under luke warm water. He then washed and dried the vase, filled it with tepid water and the feeder mix that came with the bouquet, and settled the flowers inside. Drying the vase a second time he sat it in the center of Kagome's square dining table.

Returning to the kitchen Sesshomaru took out two plates, and served their take-out on them. Setting the table he put the wine in a bucket with ice, and sat it on the table. He was finally ready for Kagome to join him. Walking around the corner and into the living room he walked up behind her and leaned over to say her name in her ear.

"Kagome." She jumped, startled at the sound of her own name being said so plainly next to her head. Sesshomaru laughed.

"Don't laugh! You scared me!" Walking around the couch he offered her his hand. Taking it she stood and followed him into the dining room. "Wow, you sure did go to an awful lot of trouble for take-out." She leaned over to smell the flowers, closing her eyes and smiling as she took in their scent. "They're lovely."

He pulled out her chair for her to sit, and poured her wine for her. Taking the chair to the right of her he sat, and enjoyed his meal with her. They spoke about work, some upcoming events, and whatever tales Kagome had about the kids in her classroom.

Taking a drink of her wine she said, "I swear, they say the most precious things when they are trying to figure things out for themselves. Kids are so clever and yet to simple when they are small. I love that about them."

They continued to chat while Sesshomaru cleared the table, boxed their left overs, and did the dishes. Sitting next to him on the couch Kagome drew her legs up under her and turned her body toward him.

"So, what's going on? The flowers are new, and so is you cleaning up after dinner. What are you up to?" She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously and took another sip of her wine. "Oh, wait, it's the wine, isn't it? You roofied my drink and you're waiting for it to kick in so you can finally take advantage of me."

He laughed at her. "Oh, my god, does your imagination never stop? We've been drinking from the same bottle. If I roofied you I roofied me, and that would be counter productive." He sat his wine glass down on the table and looked at her, all business.

"I want to apologize for how I treated you at the bar-b-que. I shouldn't have been so rude to you, and I had no right to put my hands on you. I was disgusted in myself, not you, when I wiped my mouth, because I was using you to lash out at my father's meddlesome match making." He waited quietly for her response.

Kagome weighed his words carefully, and his attempted kiss from that afternoon kept coming back to her. She had grown attracted to him, but she was not ready to run full throttle into an engagement. She could give him some encouragement, however.

Sitting her wine glass down next to his on the coffee table she requested, "Close your eyes." Honoring her request he slid his eyelids closed over his beautiful hazel eyes and waited. Kagome waved her hand in front of his face to make sure he wasn't peeking.

"Not that I'm peeking, but you can stop waving your hand in front of my face," he tartly requested. "And before you ask, the breeze of you hand, and the rocking motion on the couch gave you away."

"I think maybe I've taught you to pay too much attention to detail." Kagome stood. "Turn around and sit back." Again he did what he was asked.

Kagome got up from the couch and stood in front of Sesshomaru. Taking a deep breath she planted one knee then the other on either side of his lap before she sat down on his thighs, straddling him. He put his hands on the small of her back, pulling her closer. She took his face in her hands and tilted his head, kissing him softly before taking his bottom lip into her mouth. She could hear the groan come from his throat before he leaned forward and put his hands on her shoulders, pulling her down into him.

Between kisses she said, "I'm not looking for a husband, Sesshomaru."

"That's fine because I don't want to get married."


	6. Chapter 6

Title: The End

Author: SakuraRyuu

Prompt: Six-Course Challenge - Dessert

Genre: Romance

AU/CU: AU

Rating: T

Warnings: Language

A/N: Inuyasha and all characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

The following autumn found Kagome standing in front of an alter, Sesshomaru in front of her. They had just exchanged vows and she was jumping into his arms for her first kiss as his wife. Flinging her arms around his neck he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly. Cheers and applause erupted through the garden as he leaned down and scooped her up, carrying her bridal style back down the isle.

The woman he carried in his arms had brought a whole new depth to his very shallow life, and he was grateful for her, and to his father for meddling in his personal life one too many times. As a thank you and an apology, Kagome and Sesshomaru had decided to send his parents on a second honeymoon on the other side of the world from them while they were off on their own.

At the reception Inuyasha danced with his new sister-in-law when she decided to drop a bombshell on him that she didn't think he had considered yet.

"You realize when they get back he's going to be on you like white on rice. Especially now that he has successfully matched Sesshomaru. He's going to think he's the answer to everyone's love woes, and he's going set out to set you up with some random chick."

Inuyasha spun her around the floor. "The hell you say. He's going to be gone for two months. That's plenty of time for me to ask out this chick I've had my eye on at the dojo."

"Really?" Kagome all but squealed in her excitement. "Who is she? I don't remember you telling me about anyone new there."

"What do you think I am, crazy? No way was I going to tell any of you loons anything just so you could run her off before I have the chance to. And I'm not telling you who she is. All I'll say is she can throw a mean boomerang."

Realization dawned on Kagome's face. "Nooo…" she ground out, her voice lowering as she said it, like someone had just lowered a boom on her. "You can't be serious. She can kick your ass!"

"That just means she's tough enough for this family." He smiled and spun her again, letting go so she easily spun into her husband's waiting arms.

"You're never going to believe who Inuyasha has his eye on," he heard her say as he walked off the dance floor. Returning to his table he leaned over and winked at Sango, Kagome's bride's maid, gesturing toward her with his glass. With a twinkle in her eye she did the same.


End file.
